The present invention relates to refrigeration systems generally. More specifically, the invention provides a portable device that delivers a sufficient volume of refrigerated air to cool, for example, one or more football players either sitting or standing outside on the sideline of a football field. The invention is capable of delivering the dehumidified and cooled air outside, i.e., the athlete does not have to enter any enclosure to be cooled. The design specifically induces an envelope of cold air surrounding and engulfing a person in an environment of cold conditioned air at sufficient positive pressure, as to keep the surrounding ambient air from penetrating the adjacent 27 cu. ft. area directly in contact with the surface of the device, resulting in an entirely new atmosphere within the area of the device. The invention can cool 100° F., humid air in a single pass down to 52° F. and simultaneously dehumidify the air. The invention can also be used to cool other persons, for example, firefighters, large event patrons and consumers.
In one embodiment, a portable “refrigerated bench” is provided wherein 1 or 2 athletes or other persons simply sit on the device and cold, dry air is blown across their faces and bodies. Cold dry air is delivered in force and blown across their faces and bodies in such a configuration as to create a completely different pressure gradient whereas it overcomes the atmospheric pressure and creates the envelope and positive pressure zone. As another example of use, the invention can be used to cool firefighters in extreme conditions. Firefighters in one example enter a tent which is cooled by the invention. The ambient air may be 120° F.; the present invention, without recirculating air inside the tent, can introduce air into the tent at approximately 72° F. in a single pass. This can prevent heat stroke and allow the firefighters to return to the fire line quickly. Other embodiments are also described below.
The device can operate outside, or in an enclosed space, and cools and dries outdoor ambient air in a single pass; diffusing the positive pressure air into the unconfined surrounding pressure zone or into an enclosed space such as a tent.
The thing that makes the refrigerated bench and all of its related applications unique is its ability to operate in a single pass, without recirculating air, and to make cold 100% outside air. Normal air conditioning units, such as central air conditioning as in a home or automotive air conditioning, refrigerated food transport, and even portable air conditioning devices and machines, cannot do this. Normal existing air conditioning systems use a principle involving recirculated air, whereby they employ a single evaporative coil system to remove heat from the air. The existing air conditioning systems require that the air in an enclosed space be gradually cooled each time that it passes through the coil system. They employ the strategy of moving all of the air in the confined space through the coil multiple times, recirculating the air over and over and gradually removing heat from the recirculated air each time it passes through the evaporative coil system. Any air infiltration or air leakage in the enclosed space causes the existing systems to lose efficiency and causes the existing systems to operate that much longer and that much harder until the air temperature is met. They cannot possibly cool 100% outside air as they require confined air to be recirculated.
Each time the air is recirculated through existing coil systems, it is cooled approximately 18–22°. These types of systems require that the air be recirculated and confined in order to work. For extreme temperatures in climate zones exceeding 90–100° F. and with relative humidity above 50%, these systems could not possibly operate by using 100% outside air delivered to an unconfined space or to a non-insulated enclosure such as a firefighter's tent. The most that they could cool the air is 18–22° which, if the air is 100° outside, would only deliver around 80° output temperature and very little humidity removal would occur.
The present invention in its preferred form is a three stage refrigeration system which employs 3 evaporators in series with a single air stream, using 100% outside air and it can reduce the air temperature in one single pass by as much as 40–50° with approximately 60% to 75% moisture removal. The system can reduce the air temperature right now, in one pass causing an instant change from 100° air to 52° air, allowing the use of 100% outside air and making viable the design. The present invention is capable of operating in an unconfined, open space to cool and dehumidify hot air and produce a zone or region in which an athlete or other person may quickly cool down. The invention may also be adapted and converted to a heat pump configuration whereby the air may be warmed.
The prior art includes “swamp coolers” which simply add moisture to the air to reduce its temperature, as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,719 to Jones et al. The prior art also includes published U.S. patent application Ser. No. US 2002/0175541 to Floyd, which teaches the use of a conventional air conditioner as a separate device with duct work carrying cool air to a bench. Floyd does not teach or suggest the single pass, multiple stage evaporator technique of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention combines the refrigeration mechanism with the air diffuser or dispenser into a single, portable unit usable where needed on sidelines, as opposed to the use of a separate refrigeration system connected to the bench by ducting.
Because of the present refrigeration design, athletes, firefighters and others may use the invention in any manner, standing, seated, lying down, etc. Its mechanical cooling and large temperature differential is what makes the design work. Its ability to deliver large temperature differential, air volume and velocity makes the possibility of an exposed exterior climate zone envelope of cool air possible.
The application of the preferred three stage, single pass embodiment of the invention can also be used for restaurants, where existing make up air devices employ the use of evaporative coolers to cool make up air. No longer do air conditioning systems have to overcome latent heat load due to evaporative coolers providing make up air. The present device can remove enough heat in one pass that the air delivered can be used as make up air itself.
The design can be used in many applications, i.e., automotive repair shops, air craft hangers, army training centers, amusement parks, warehouses and many, many applications yet undiscovered.
A primary object of the invention is to provide a multiple stage, non-recirculating and single pass refrigeration system capable of providing large amounts of super cool air to rapidly cool athletes, firefighters and others.
A further object of the invention is to provide a three stage, single pass and non-recirculating refrigeration system capable of immediately reducing 100° F. ambient air to a temperature of 52° F. and simultaneously removing 70% of the humidity.
Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple stage single pass and non-recirculating refrigeration system capable of use in a wide variety of situations where conventional recirculating refrigeration systems are incapable of achieving the desired result.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and drawings: